Review - Swan: The Life and Dance of Anna Pavlova

Swan: The Life and Dance of Anna Pavlova
by Laurel Snyder
illustrated by Julie Morstad
Date: 2015
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book non-fiction
Pages: 44
Format: e-book
Source: library

The world is big.
Anna is small.
The snow is
everywhere
and all around.
But one night . . .
One night, her mother takes her to the ballet, and everything is changed. Anna finds a beauty inside herself that she cannot contain.

So begins the journey of a girl who will one day grow up to be the most famous prima ballerina of all time, inspiring legions of dancers after her: the brave, the generous, the transcendently gifted Anna Pavlova.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

I didn't see the subtitle when I grabbed this one. I was just seduced by the pretty cover. This is actually a picture-book biography of Anna Pavlova, the famous ballerina.

The text is sparse but poetic. The illustrations really shine, with their graceful lines and sweet characters. Julie Morstad's style works really well here.

Overall, this is a strong little biography (with an informative author's note at the end). I'd recommend this to readers who like learning about historical figures, as well as to those who love ballet.

Premise: 4/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 4/5
Illustrations: 4/5
Originality: 4/5

Enjoyment: 4/5

Overall: 4 out of 5